On one of the planet's biggest platforms, accepting an award that he acknowledged he did not deserve, President Obama yesterday spoke words strong and clear about the need, sometimes, like it or not, to use force to secure the peace.

Obama's address was a forthright articulation of longstanding U.S. principles that most Americans expect their Presidents to share. It was remarkable only in that this occupant of the White House presented his credentials as commander in chief while accepting the Nobel Peace Prize - and shortly after escalating his "war of necessity" in Afghanistan.

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The President was acutely aware of the moment in history. And of his audience of sycophants, who should have known better than to give him this honor at the very dawn of his term. They had invested him with gauzy feelings of hope, and he responded by reminding them of the ugly realities of human nature, of America's role as the world's superpower and of the responsibility all right-thinking nations have to combat evil.

So kudos to Obama for teaching the basics to the armchair tskers and tutters.

Such as the idea that sometimes military force is necessary. "A nonviolent movement could not have halted Hitler's armies. Negotiations cannot convince Al Qaeda's leaders to lay down their arms," he said. "The belief that peace is desirable is rarely enough to achieve it."

Such as the fact that terrorism is by no means a simple, containable threat, but that "modern technology allows a few small men with outsized rage to murder."

Such as the fact that basic human rights are universal, and that in some countries, "the failure to uphold human rights is excused by the false suggestion that these are Western principles."

Such as the fact that some forms of peace and stability are not worth preserving - not when "citizens are denied the right to speak freely or worship as they please, choose their own leaders or assemble without fear."

(And let us hope he will continue to raise his voice to support the student protesters who are getting their hands cuffed and their heads bashed in across Iran.)

Such as the fact that Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons is utterly unacceptable: "Those who seek peace cannot stand idly by as nations arm themselves for nuclear war."

Such as the fact that nations must sometimes act on their own to protect their people: "I - like any head of state - reserve the right to act unilaterally if necessary to defend my nation."

Such as the fact that "the United States of America has helped underwrite global security for more than six decades with the blood of our citizens and the strength of our arms."

No stop on a global apology tour was this.

In all, it was a speech - in large passages, at least - that George W. Bush might have given.